> Instead, the downloader always had to pay a fine. No. In many places simple copyright violation is not a crime, and so there are no fines. The rights holders

> Instead, the downloader always had to pay a fine. No. In many places simple copyright violation is not a crime, and so there are no fines. The rights holders can sue for losses. But this isn't a criminal case between the state and an alleged criminal, it's a case between two citizens (although one of them may be a corporate person). There are things that tip copyright violation into a criminal offence: doing it as part of business (selling the DVDs that you've downloaded), doing it so much it materially affects the rights holders.